Tuesday, October 31, 2006

So, on Sunday evening, after about 5 car trips, we finally finished the move hurrah =)I'm not sure how we fit so much in that little three-door hatchback car - between getting the seats put down in the back, and Jenny having the visual/spacial co-ordination of a genius tetris grand master of the world, we fit a lot in each trip.

On the way home on that last trip Jenny and I thought it would be a good idea to stop at the supermarket - it is never a good idea to go to the supermarket when famished and then double the not-goodness of the idea for taking an equally famished friend with!! We also got stuck in the vicious crackers and dip circle - you know where you get a pack of crackers, then there's two dips you want, then you walk past the cheese pick up some brie, so you have to go back for more crackers, but now you probably have to many crackers and so it goes on. This is similar to the vicious circle of chips and salsa - you start off by buying one pack of chips and one jar of salsa. Then the chips run out but you still have salsa left so you buy more chips. Then you have too many chips - you can see where this is going....The Boy barbequed for us while we worked on balancing out the snack cycle. He claimed it was his first time, but believe me he can cook a mean barbie!!For now all of my stuff is in bags/piles/boxes in the garage (yup, that rubble in the pics is all my worldly possessions). Perhaps I'll get around to unpacking (or atleast re-organising) some of it on the weekend. =S

Sunday, October 29, 2006

I have never had a relationship quite like the one I have with Veronica Mars.Perhaps it's because this time I've had (some) control over the speed at which we move forward, whilst other TV relationships have been on the terms set by the tv stations. The new season of Buffy would start. Every week there would be a new episode. I might rewatch during the week, but anything new was dictated by a higher power and completely out of my hands. During the 'off-season' there would be pining, and I'd have to resign myself to reruns untill Buffy was back.

With Veronica it has always been differentBertie introduced us. He'd read reviews on a new series that had already aired in the states and imported the DVDs.Two things I know for sure I can count on Bertie for, he both: - has good taste; and- knows my taste better than perhaps anyone else I know.So when he said he thought he had something I might enjoy I went with it, and borrowed the DVD.

Veronica and I were quickly inseperable. Beauzo was soon hooked too, and we spent hours together on the sofa watching episode after episode. We didn't have to wait week to week, and if someone was an episode or two behind the other would rewatch with them.

We got through the season pretty quickly, and when the screen went black on the final episode we couldn't stand to wait to see who was behind that door. I contacted Bertie immediately to find out when we could get season 2 (Veronica had started on TV here, but was showing very sporadically and wasn't even close to ending).It was going to be months, then Beauzo did a little Marsing of his own, and discovered season two was just begun in America, and managed to get his hands on the episodes.

We watched the first episode of season two, and it was like the lust was cured. It was some time before I even thought about watching anymore - I knew who was behind the door, I knew Veronica was ok, and I didn't need to know any more than that. The lust was cooling. We might have had 10 episodes waiting for me before I really thought about it again. I started to watch an episode here and there, then suddenly it was happening again. Hmmm, if I brush my teeth while I'm in the shower that will save some time getting ready for work - I could probably squeeze in one more episode.

Pretty soon I was caught up, then matched Veronica pretty much week for week. Then something changed. With four episodes left in the season I found myself making excuses not to watch. Beauzo had made it through the season, and was busting to talk about it, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I realised that I didn't want it to be over. Eventually I overcame my completion phobia and watched(actually, J-mo and her boy are mad 'Ronnie' fans too. I was lending them the disc, but didn't want them to watch before I did, incase they accidentally spilled something!) The final episodes were intense, for sure, but there was no urgency in the end for anything more.

The third season of Veronica began about 4 weeks ago in America. The boy has been collecting the episodes for me. But, oddly, in the same way that I didn't want it to end before, something has held me back from watching again. As strange as it sounds, I think I was happy with where Veronica ended last season, and if anything bad has happened 'over summer' I don't even want to know - ignorance is bliss (ok, I've been in denial about what's happening on a tv show =S)

This weekend, along with moving (btw we finished hurrah, more on that tomorrow, maybe), I've been catching up with an old friend. I had decided I would wait untill I had 4 episodes. That's how many will fit on a dvd disc. I had promised to get the disc to J-mo on monday, and again didn't want to be behind in the watching =) So I spent a couple of hours (three episodes, to be exact) with Veronica over the past few days, and am so excited to report that Ronnie is back as cool, smart, sassy and fun as ever!!!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Ok, I swear I never had this much stuff before I had to move it!The boy and I have quite a lot going on at the moment, so it is really a "throw as much as you can into a bag, then as many bags as you can in the car then dump in the garage at the other end and repeat" kind of move, rather than being able to go through and see what I actually need/want to take with me. As a result, both my old room and my new living room, as well the garage all look something like this.(that's actually the Cameron offices, as also photographed and posted by Bertie, but you see what I'm saying, yeah?) Honestly, its like there's just one carload after the next - who would think you could fit so much into a little room like that??!?!?!!(infact, those bulldozers would come in handy!)

Tomorrow we have a helper with a trailer coming so we can move the bed (thank goodness - and thanks P & J =)!!!!!) and we should be able to move everything else tomorrow too - by this time tomorrow I'll be moved =) (its just going to be a relief to know its done!)

And then trying to find somewhere to put it in an already fully-furnished house is a whole other challenge again!! (like where in a tastefully decorated home do Darth Tater, Dino (he sings 'that's amore!) and Booney belong??? - just act natural guys! =S)

Of course, the other difficulty with moving in with someone is that there are things that become much more difficult to hide - like your yarn/craft stash =S (or the fact that not you take not only a mild interest in the danish royal family, but infact own probably every single magazine in which they have appeared, at all, Frederik and Mary's relationship was announced in 2003. Hmmm. I'm still not sure how to manage this one....Help?)

All this moving activity means that I haven't had a chance to set scissor to fabric on the skirt yet - is it still nervous procrastination if you actually do have something else to do??? hehe

Friday, October 27, 2006

Today I'm taking a mental health day.You know, where take a day off from work just to be.You enjoy being home without having to do anything (hey, you should really be at work, and if you were that washing wouldn't get done anyway), make something fabulous for breakfast (the boy made mine - mmmm look at it!!) and have lunch and coffee with friends.

So here I am, having coffee with Dr Phil (and some nasty mothers-in-law), surfing, posting and staring out the window.

My skirt fabric is washed and drying on the line, maybe I'll cut it out while I lunch with Oprah (oooh I miss my daytime TV friends!)

During the week I've done a lot of 'blog-bouncing' and discovered some some amazingingly creative bloggers, with inspiring blogs full of beautiful crafts and great tutorials , let me tell you about a few of them =)

That's just a few, but I've added some others to the list on my sidebar (please let me know if you'd rather not be there) and thanks to everyone who made me smile or laugh or think ooooh I want one of those!!! And everyone who has provided me encouragement to help me on my way through my garment-sewing phobia!

And here are some other things that made me smile:

-starting moving in with the boy (look, that's my stuff on the shelf at his place =)) - hopefully we'll finish this up this weekend

-the Princess Mary news!!!

-finding out that I'm going to Brisbane for work for a few days the week after next =)

-getting the new robbie williams cd

-finally getting pattern and fabric for skirt

-finding great those new blogs mentioned above, and more!

-french toast for breakfast (have another look at it - need I say more??!)

Overnight we had exciting news from the Royal Palace in Denmark with official confirmation of the rumours that the Crown Prince and Princess are expecting their second child in May next year!In 1999 I spent a year as a student in Denmark, and fell in love with the country, the people and the Royal Family, which have ever since held a very special place in my heart.

For me, Prince Frederik marrying an Australian has been great, now I get news from my second home in the media here on a really regular basis.Next year I'm going back to Denmark for a holiday, this time taking my mum with me - on her first trip overseas - and I can't say how excited I am that I will be arriving to a Denmark still on a baby high!

Here's wishing Frederik and Mary a happy and safe pregnancy, and a beautiful healthy baby come May next year =)

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Horns that is.And my sewing.Today I left work early so I could go to Lincraft and pick out a pattern and some fabric to sew myself up a skirt. I have done this a couple of times before, but I always end up feeling overwhelmed (can you ever just be whelmed? I think you can, in Europe) and leaving with no pattern no fabric no nothing (well, ok, I never leave Lincraft with nothing).

But today I left with everthing I need (ok, I will have to go back for a zipper, but you know, details details hehe). I picked out the fabric first - actually i had it in mind for a dress, but to be honest Lincraft don't exactly have the best selection of fabrics..... - and a pattern from New Look by Simplicity (see, it says 'Easy' on the front - they wouldn't lie, would they?).

To be quite honest I am a bit nervous about this whole sewing clothing thing. The thing is, I can't find anything much that I like in the stores for summer - and most of it doesn't really look great on me. So now I'm worried that I'm making an assumption that making something myself will help. I mean, if I can't find anything I like that suits me in the shops is it reasonable to think that I can do better?So I'm scared that now I will have bought the pattern and fabric and put so much time and heart into making something and when it's finished it will be the wrong size, or not suit me, or just be wrong, and I'll be really disappointed.I just keep trying to remember that if it does turn out then I can make like a thousand (or so hehe) and be in skirts for ever!! =)

As for as materials go, though, I think I'm all set =)See, I even picked up some entertainment too =) - 'School of Rock' - (cello!!!), with Jack Black, and Robbies new album 'Rude Box'. I was particularly excited about the Robbie album - he does a cover version of 'Bongo Bong' and 'Je ne t'aime plus' by Manu Chao - one of my fave international artists! Ooh, Robbie and I have so much in common!!! hehe

You may not be able to tell from the picture there, but that white square of fabric is..... (wait for it)... fusible interfacing!!!! taaaadaaaaa hurrah!!Not only did I remember, but I got it as a remnant - 50 cents!!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

There has been very little crafting around here this weekend.I had planned to sew, instead I went with the unexpectedly (well, for me anyway - but I hadn't checked the forecast, so maybe everyone else was ready) cooler weather -porridge for breakfast and some knitting. I finished three more squares for my patchwork blanky (I think that gives me 27 out of 48 or something...), and watched most of the first season of Buffy. (ahhh I miss Buffy)

I do have some fabric ready to cut out to make another bag, but the tutorial I'm following says I need 'stiff fusible interfacing' (?) which I was thinking might not be mandatory but then I have a read around and it looks like it's pretty much the bag norm. I didn't want to jump in do it without and then get suboptimal results and be wishing I had used it, so the plan is to pick some up this week. Of course, the truth is that what is more likely is that I'll forget to look for it, wait maybe a week then say something like 'interfacing schminterfacing', throw caution to the wind, go ahead without, and then probably wish I had waited after all...

Friday, October 20, 2006

here's something a bit odd about bus drivers.I always suspected they got a perverse pleasure out of seeing people running desperately for the bus. This hypothesis gathered some weight this week when, after being unexpectedly held up in the supermarket (how do i always end up in that checkout???) I came around the corner to the bus interchange to see the bus ready to leave.I teetered across the street, the best 'run' I could manage in my blue suede butterfly wedges (with the added degree of difficulty of having the jar of simmer sauce crashing against the vino in the same shopping bag), to be greeted by: "that's cute" from the bus driver. "Excuse me?" "You know, chicks running in heels" hmmm ok

This morning I even began to wonder whether some of them leave a minute early just so they can see people scrambling desperately towards them. At every stop there was at least one person who had to run (including me!), surely it's more likely that the bus was early than that a whole suburb was running late, isn't it?Thank goodness this guy was one of the ones who stop, some of them just drive on by.

Since it's Friday that's probably a good place to start with some of the other things I've been thankful for, or enjoyed this week:

- the first 'I love living in Canberra' (sometimes known as 'hey maybe living in Canberra isn't so bad' by the less enthusiastic) Sunday afternoon of the season (these are those gorgeous sunny afternoons where every single person in the city can be found sitting outside either a pub or cafe, often with some live music going on. It is closely related to the 'Beer garden afternoon' mentioned last week)

- walking to the bus though the car park so I can count how many Vespa's are parked with the motorcycles

-realising that I count how many Vespa's are parked with the motorcycles every day even though there is usually only one. (I only realised this on Tuesday when I got excited that there were two!!)

Thursday, October 19, 2006

As promised I'm posting some progress pics from the bag I started on Saturday, and would you believe, a finished pic too!!!!! I finished on Tuesday hurrah =) Here I am modelling it on the way to work on Wednesday morning!

But let's start from the beginning =) When Mum and I first bought the sewing machine I bought a bag of scrap fabrics. From this I picked out the fabrics in bits large enough to cut strips from. I ended up with these six blue/black/white prints, to which I added some plain dark and pale blue.

I sewed the strips together and ironed them out - here are my two sides still warm on the ironing board - then they were quilted and, as you can see, all sewed up and ready to go! =)

I used a magnetic fastening, and a zip pocket - check out the heart fabric (i totally heart that print!)

Hurrah =) I'm so proud of my new handbag - I was a bit worried about how it was going to work out, since I haven't done any sewing for probably 10 years! So I'm really excited and now can't wait to start on my next project =)And thanks again to Autum at Creative Little Daisy for the inspiration (and tutorial!!!) =)

BTW, that's Yarn Harlot's book in there - I just finished it today and it was a great read =)

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

ok, so one of the Boy's good friends is in a band called the Red Riders (or check out their 'my space'), and they were playing as the support on the Living End's State of Emergency tour, along with End of Fashion, so on Sunday we went along to check it out.

The Red Riders' set was pretty short (30 min) but they definately rocked! They played some of their older stuff, plus some stuff from their new album Replica Replica - which is out on October 21, by the way =p.Anyway, the set was awesome! We caught up with the band for a little bit right after the set, then just caught the end of the end of fashion hehe o yeah hehe(That's Ads in the stripes signing stuff for fans, and Alex further back behind him)

Then it was time for the Living End. Ok, like 8 years ago, when I was still at school, we LOVED these guys and let me tell you i still dig their sound!Their set was so high energy, with classics from 'back then', new stuff and even a cover of tainted love (I totally heart that song!)My fave bits were Scott standing on his double bass as he played it, Chris standing on the drumkit while he sang, and the part where the Red Riders came back on stage to sing the 'Uncle Harry' song (about a dirty old uncle relieving himself in the bath).Seriously, these guys can play the absolute crap out of their instruments - they're playing Japan, NZ, UK and Nth America before Christmas and I would totally recommend them live. It was the last gig of a seven week 27 show tour, and after we got to go backstage and celebrate with the Red Riders, the Living End, and Rodney of the End of Fashion - formerly of Sleepy Jackson - (the rest of the band had to catch a late flight from Canberra to Sydney to be in time for a midnight flight back to Perth).

The guys were all really cool and super friendly. We argued over the greatest tv theme ever, threw m&ms at each other (oooh the wasted chocolate!), I took some pics for Chris as the guys posed for 'happy snaps' together, and a rock star told me that my job sounds really cool and interesting! It was so much fun (it was not so fun when I had to get up for work on Monday though =S)

Next up the Red Riders' are touring with Little Birdy, yay - I can't wait =)

Saturday, October 14, 2006

You scored as Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. You are Return of the Jedi, the third Star Wars Movie. Eh, you are okay. You have more space battles, your bad guy finds redemption and peace returns to the galaxy. Compared to Empire, you're not that great, but you are good.

Ok, if you try that one out you will find that most of the questions don't really make sense (if it had said i was the phantom menace i would have sworn off of quizzes for life!! - well a week at least!)

But it's not our only hope.... there is another =)

You scored as Han Solo. Your soul mate is Han Solo! He'll fly you anywhere and always give you a laugh...but at your wedding, be prepared for many uh..different types of creatures to be there.

today I finally had the chance to warm-up the foot pedal of the new sewing machine today - hurrahMy first project is going to be a patchwork handbag, from this tutorial on Creative Little Daisy. Pics tomorrow =)For now, I think we will watch The Empire Strikes Back =)besos

Friday, October 13, 2006

I was doing a little blog-hopping the other day when I came across a blog called Creative Little Daisy, where I was inspired by Autum's 'gratitude friday' posts. Every Friday there's a post on things she has been thankful for during the week. This is an idea she borrowed from another blog who had borrowend in from another blogger. And here I in turn borrow from her!

Things that have made me smile this week: - the boy =); - finding Creative Little Daisy; - finding out what Bertie is really made of; - finishing Belinda Bunny and J-Mo earrings; - finishing J-Mo earrings again (after a moment of OCD where I decided they were just not quite right and I did whatever the jewelery making equivalent of frogging is); - watching star wars for the 498th time; - kids flying kites; - not having to wear a jacket, or even cardigan, for a whole day, from leaving the house am to pm return from work, for the first time this year; - getting my hands on the first episode of Veronica Mars season 3!; and - the first 'ooh must take detour on way home because the weather is way to glorious not to stop by the beer garden with everyone else in this city!' day of the season!!!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

I have just watched the episode of Criminal Minds we taped last night and it was SCARYI'm not sure uf I have linked to this before, but one of the actors has a really cool web page: Matthew Gray Gubler. check it out =)besos =)

I knit Belinda on 4 dpns. I started by casting on 22 stitches, then followed the shaping as described in the project sheet, knitting in garter stitch, until the widest part of the head (36 stitches I think) then decreased again following the fact sheet, until I was down to 12 stitches around the neck. At this point you probably want to stuff the head. This is also when I embroidered the facial details, but if you're going to find it creepy working on a severed smiling head then it may be better to wait...

Now you have 12 stitches, and need to *inc in next stitch, K1, repeat from * to end, so you have 18 stiches. Do one row garter stitch (probably purl - i think i tried to only increase on on knit rows, but i'm not entirely sure - wow, i think my notes suck hehe) then *inc in next stitch, k2, repeat from * to end, and hopefully you have 24 stiches, garter stitch one row again then *inc in next stitch, k1, repeat from * to end hopefully my calculations are right and you have 36 stitches =)(if you want a 'stronger' shoulder try skipping the step where you have 24 stitches - go straight from 18 to 36 by increasing in each one) Next you need to do 21 rows of garter stitch and you're ready to do the splits.

This is the top of the legs. At this point I moved half of my stitches onto a stitch holder and knit the remaining half, on the round, for 22 rows.k2tog, so you have 18 stitches, garter stich for one row, then k2tog so you have 9.Break off your yarn and use a yarn needle to thread through all 9 stitches and pull tight.Then just repeat with the stitches on the holder and you have two legs =)The best part about knitting the head body and legs all in one piece is that you're nearly done already!

The ears and arms I made just like in the project sheet, except I did the arms in the round too.Hopefully once you sew on the arms and ears you'll have something that looks like a bunny =) (otherwise just add another ear and tell people it's an alien?)Like I said, the pattern also had a tail, but I skipped that bit =)Good luck!

My pics tonight are the Melbourne by night, from my trip last week. Mostly they are taken from on (well, on a bridge) the Yarra River or at Southbank, along the Yarra.In one you might be able to make out Flinder's St Station.The one directly above looks directly up along Southbank, where there are a bunch of cafe's and restaurants looking out to the water, and where we sat for a drink after dinner.We saw some amazing street art (that one was called 'My trip to Bali'), and finished our evening with some delish gelatommmmmbesos!

Star Wars was great. There's something really comforting about watching a film you've seen so many times before. You know what to expect so there's no risk of disappointment. You can just sit back and enjoy. And there's no need to be ashamed of this either. Its like ordering a meal at a restaurant. There is absolutely nothing worse than going to order your fave, then you think that its boring to have the same thing all the time. So you order something new. Different. Crap. And the whole time you're eating you're watching the person across the table loving their laksa and wishing that you had just ordered the laksa no matter what anyone else said about you always ordering the laksa (This is why I always order the treasure bags. I will never be the one with dish envy again). It's not that I'm immune to the thrill of the unknown, but there's times when you need that security (and maybe your laurels are a good place to rest).

This is one of those times for me, and as a result most of my knitting lately has been squares. I've been working on my patch work blanky, and have now completed half of the squares, here's a progress shot:It wont be super big - i think about 1.2 metres square - but I really like the different textures you get from using a combination of different types of yarn. And I've found the knitting of squares really therapeutic.

So, this weekend was 'do or do not' and I did.Here I present to you j-mo earrings I'm mostly happy with these guys, although I couldn't find my proper loop making jewelery tool thing, so the loops aren't great. (The photgraphy is improving though, I think. I always found that photos of little things were really blurry, then last week at Floriade I was really excited because it was my first chance to use the special 'flower' setting on my digital camera, then it occured to me that perhaps the camera might not have a specific setting for taking flower pictures, because more people would surely be more likely to take pictures of babies or something than flowers and there's no special baby setting, so perhaps the setting with the picture of the flower is actually more likely to be for something like for example taking photos from close up like with earrings.... but that's a whole other embarassing story. Anyway, suffice to say that using the flower setting has reduced the blur factor in my close up shots so I may be on to something there)

and (finally!) Belinda Bunny:I think he is super cute (i'm not sure why, with the pink yarn and being called Belinda and all, but I'm totally getting a masculine gender vibe off this guy. Maybe its the bow-tie?)Belinda is knit from a free project sheet from spotlight, with some changes to the pattern: I knit Belinda in the round on four dpns, and with the head, body and legs all in one piece. I also let off the tail (being for a small child i think it is good to have as little attached as possible.)I will most likely link to the pattern sometime when it is not way past my bed time (and on a school night!!!)

You have earned the Blue Lightsaber. You are skilled in the ways of the Jedi, and the force is strong with you. You have a mind of your own, and sometimes do things your own way, but always for the good. You are looked up to, by the young and are strongly respected for your decisions.Take this quiz!

We are having such a great spring here, weather-wise, at least so far! =)It has really been perfect one day, 'perfecter' the next.Today was forecast to be about 27C, i think, and it is all beautiful sunshine =)And starting your day with this helps too!!:

(mmm french toast with maplesyrup and strawberries ooooh yeah - hey, its my blood pressure not my cholesterol that the issue, ok)

My day has been spent 'doing a few things', just average everyday things.As I said, I have been away with Mum and then work for over a week, so there's things like washing, but mostly just just having time to myself type things.

I am determined to 'finish a few things' this weekend too - as in my blog from yesterday. I do find writing it down like that makes it more likely that I'll actually do something. It's funny, but I've always had much more respect for the written word than for the spoken, I guess because it's the in front of you and there's not really any taking it back. Writing is so definate. This makes the written word a bit scary though, too. I'm always a bit nervous about writing for people, whether its assignments/documents for study/work or even emails and letters. I'd much rather speak to someone, then if you say something stupid you can just keep talking like it never even happened and maybe they didn't notice, or maybe they think they misheard. But if you write something down its there for ever, for people to read and re-read and its much less likely someone will miss whatever comment you wish you hadn't made. (luckily with blogger you can edit it out and pretend it didn't ever happen hehe)Anyway, I think this afternoon will be earings, and tommorrow some knitting with Australian Idol =)

besos !! =)

BTW, the pics are from Floriade, a festival of flowers held every spring in our city.Mostly the flowers are tulips, but there is also clever use of smaller plants like pansies and various ground-covers that help make the colours so strong.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Well, after an ENTIRE WEEK unexpectedly away from the internet (!!!), I've finally been able to plug back in again. Yay!Last Thursday I set off with my mum in the direction of Melbourne to spend the weekend before attending a work meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday (I know - work is super exciting for me at the moment!!)I have at least 100 stories and 347 photos I'm dying to share about the past week, from tulips to buying a new sewing machine (!!!) to meeting a childhood hero to kitty print quilting fabrics, footy fans, a fellow crafty blogger, cocktails and my tour of secret french melbourne!For tonight, though, check out another beautiful pic of the museum. After my work seminar there last Friday we went with mum on the Sunday to have more of a look inside. It was amazing! I guess in about 3 hours in the museum we saw perhaps a third of the exhibitions on display! Sunday was probably the only day in the past three weeks where the weather hasn't been picture perfect, but the rain cleared to the picture perfectest scene ever:besos